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Malaria Endemic Areas (malaria + endemic_area)
Selected AbstractsApplication of Insect Repellents by Travelers to Malaria Endemic AreasJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2006Yvonne Thrower MSc Background The use of insect repellents applied to the skin is always encouraged in those visiting malaria endemic areas. There are a number of factors contributing to the efficacy of insect repellents in the field and an important factor contributing to their longevity relates to the applied dose. This study investigated the dose of insect repellent that travelers might normally apply to the skin. Methods Subjects were asked to apply a product they had purchased to the arms and neck, and the dose applied (mg/cm2) was calculated. The study was conducted using three different populations; 74 travelers to malaria endemic areas visiting pharmacies to purchase repellents before they left the UK, 23 travelers on safari in India, and 24 on safari in Kenya. Results There was a significant difference in the mean applied arm dose of product (mg/cm2) [p < 0.001, analysis of variance (ANOVA)]; UK 1.15 (SD 0.29), India 0.96 (SD 0.23), and Kenya 1.34 (SD 0.54). Higher concentrations were achieved on the neck area. Few of the participants in the field trial used long-sleeved shirts at night. Even using 50% wt/vol repellent products, 32% in the Kenya and 25% in the India, study achieved a dose of active ingredient less than 0.5 mg/cm2. Conclusion These pilot studies would indicate that travelers tend to apply below the optimal concentration of active ingredient of repellent as might be suggested by mathematical models. [source] Rapid production of a plasmid DNA encoding a malaria vaccine candidate via amino-functionalized poly(GMA- co -EDMA) monolithAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2008Michael K. Danquah Abstract Malaria is a global health problem; an effective vaccine is urgently needed. Due to the relative poverty and lack of infrastructure in malaria endemic areas, DNA-based vaccines that are stable at ambient temperatures and easy to formulate have great potential. While attention has been focused mainly on antigen selection, vector design and efficacy assessment, the development of a rapid and commercially viable process to manufacture DNA is generally overlooked. We report here a continuous purification technique employing an optimized stationary adsorbent to allow high-vaccine recovery, low-processing time, and, hence, high-productivity. A 40.0 mL monolithic stationary phase was synthesized and functionalized with amino groups from 2-Chloro-N,N-diethylethylamine hydrochloride for anion-exchange isolation of a plasmid DNA (pDNA) that encodes a malaria vaccine candidate, VR1020-PyMSP4/5. Physical characterization of the monolithic polymer showed a macroporous material with a modal pore diameter of 750 nm. The final vaccine product isolated after 3 min elution was homogeneous supercoiled plasmid with gDNA, RNA and protein levels in keeping with clinical regulatory standards. Toxicological studies of the pVR1020-PyMSP4/5 showed a minimum endotoxin level of 0.28 EU/mg pDNA. This cost-effective technique is cGMP compatible and highly scalable for the production of DNA-based vaccines in commercial quantities, when such vaccines prove to be effective against malaria. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008 [source] Application of Insect Repellents by Travelers to Malaria Endemic AreasJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2006Yvonne Thrower MSc Background The use of insect repellents applied to the skin is always encouraged in those visiting malaria endemic areas. There are a number of factors contributing to the efficacy of insect repellents in the field and an important factor contributing to their longevity relates to the applied dose. This study investigated the dose of insect repellent that travelers might normally apply to the skin. Methods Subjects were asked to apply a product they had purchased to the arms and neck, and the dose applied (mg/cm2) was calculated. The study was conducted using three different populations; 74 travelers to malaria endemic areas visiting pharmacies to purchase repellents before they left the UK, 23 travelers on safari in India, and 24 on safari in Kenya. Results There was a significant difference in the mean applied arm dose of product (mg/cm2) [p < 0.001, analysis of variance (ANOVA)]; UK 1.15 (SD 0.29), India 0.96 (SD 0.23), and Kenya 1.34 (SD 0.54). Higher concentrations were achieved on the neck area. Few of the participants in the field trial used long-sleeved shirts at night. Even using 50% wt/vol repellent products, 32% in the Kenya and 25% in the India, study achieved a dose of active ingredient less than 0.5 mg/cm2. Conclusion These pilot studies would indicate that travelers tend to apply below the optimal concentration of active ingredient of repellent as might be suggested by mathematical models. [source] The development of the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate: challenges and lessonsPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 9 2009W. R. BALLOU Summary RTS,S is the world's most advanced malaria vaccine candidate and is intended to protect infants and young children living in malaria endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa against clinical disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Recently, a pivotal Phase III efficacy trial of RTS,S began in Africa. The goal of the programme has been to develop a vaccine that will be safe and effective when administered via the Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) and significantly reduce the risk of clinically important malaria disease during the first years of life. If a similar reduction in the risk of severe malaria and other important co-morbidities associated with malaria infection can be achieved, then the vaccine could become a major new tool for reducing the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Encouraging data from the ongoing phase II programme suggest that these goals may indeed be achievable. This review discusses some of the unique challenges that were faced during the development of this vaccine, highlights the complexity of developing new vaccine technologies and illustrates the power of partnerships in the ongoing fight against this killer disease. [source] Activation by malaria antigens renders mononuclear cells susceptible to HIV infection and re-activates replication of endogenous HIV in cells from HIV-infected adultsPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2004K. Froebel SUMMARY We have tested the hypothesis that activation of T cells by exposure to malaria antigens facilitates both de novo HIV infection and viral reactivation and replication. PBMC from malaria-naïve HIV-uninfected European donors could be productively infected with HIV following in vitro stimulation with a lysate of Plasmodium falciparum schizonts and PBMC from malaria-naïve and malaria-exposed (semi-immune) HIV-positive adults were induced to produce higher levels of virus after stimulation with the same malaria extract. These findings suggest that effective malaria control measures might con-tribute to reducing the spread of HIV and extending the life span of HIV-infected individuals living in malaria endemic areas. [source] | ||||||||||